Legendary Bad-Ass Rap Duo Run the Jewels Smacks Down the Swarm in Gears of War 4

Today, hip hop’s biggest names officially join the Gears of War family with playable characters ready for Versus Multiplayer and Horde 3.0. Available for purchase as part of the Run the Jewels Air Drop, both EL-P and Killer Mike have lent their voices, likeness and ‘can’t nobody save us but us’ attitude to Gears of War 4 continuing their partnership with Xbox and The Coalition. This is the first time two recording artists have been reimagined as playable characters in the Gears of War franchise or any Xbox game. The brotherhood that Killer Mike and El-P represent as Run the Jewels perfectly matches the soul of Gears, which at its core is about that brotherhood and never fighting alone.

Also available alongside the playable EL-P and Killer Mike within the Run the Jewels Air Drop are 18 themed weapon skins, emblems and bounties to ensure fans have the appropriate levels of swagger to add to their Gears of War 4 Versus Multiplayer and Horde experience. For more Run the Jewels goodness, check out Killer Mike and EL-P’s reaction to seeing their in-game likeness at the BAIT shop in Seattle.

As anticipation for the megalithic rap duo’s forthcoming RTJ3 album continues to mount, Run the Jewels have announced their first full scale North American headlining tour since 2015. The “Run the World” tour kicks off mid-January in Philadelphia and continues through to the end of February, with stops in veritably every major city in the US along the way. Support for the tour will be provided by Brainfeeder-affiliated hip hop experimentalist The Gaslamp Killer, mysterious underground MC Spark Master Tape, & longtime Killer Mike collaborator CUZ. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 4th at 10am local time (with exception of New York & St. Paul which go on sale at noon). More announcements detailing worldwide tour dates are expected in the near future.

Additionally, starting today, two of the most popular Gears of War Legacy Maps will also make their debut in Gears of War 4 with the addition of Checkout and Drydock. Season pass holders receive early access to these maps as part of the Developer Playlist with full public availability scheduled for November 8.

Gears of War 4 and the Gears of War 4 Season Pass are available now at your local retailer, including Microsoft Stores and microsoftstore.com. Season Pass owners also receive five exclusive digital items as part of the Vintage VIP Pack, including the Vintage JD character skin, Vintage Gnasher and Dropshot weapon skins, Vintage JD Emblem and Vintage JD Bounty for extra XP; permanent DLC map ownership of over 24 additional maps (two per month for a year) for private play on dedicated servers; access to an exclusive Developer Playlist where new maps, modes and features can be tested prior to broad release; and the Starter Airdrop, a care package that outfits gamers with over a dozen Gear Packs and grants assorted character and weapon skins, Horde skills and abilities, and XP boosting bounties. Pick up the Gears of War 4 Ultimate Edition to get the Season Pass and base game bundled at a discount.